9 facts about Rhode Island almost no one knows

1. It’s the state with the longest name.

Little Rhody may be the smallest state in the union, but it has the longest name of all 50 states. Officially the state name is: The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.

2. The guy who painted the face on the dollar bill was born here.

The portrait of our first president, George Washington, which is depicted on the dollar bill was painted by artist Gilbert Stuart who was born in Rhode Island

3. One of the most famous haunted houses is located here.

The haunted house that is the basis for the story in the horror movie The Conjuring is a real home (with a real family living in it) and is located in Harrisville, RI.

4. The state is home to the oldest 4th of July Parade.

The annual 4th of July Parade held in Bristol, RI is the oldest Independence Day Parade in America (and technically the World). The first parade took place way back in 1785.

5. The Modern Day Infomercial was created in Warwick.

The use of informercials, or long detailed commercials, with pitchmen and catchphrases were developed by the Dial Media Company in Warwick, RI in 1975. Some of their first products were The Miracle Painter, The Miracle Slicer, and the Ginsu Knife.

6. Super Bowl winners are holding a trophy that is built here.

Each year, the National Football League hands out a new trophy to a Super Bowl Champion. And that trophy, The Vincent Lombardi Trophy, is crafted by silver smiths at Tiffany & Co. in Rhode Island. It weighs 7 pounds and is hollow inside.

7. You can mail a letter at America’s oldest post office in this state.

The oldest automated post office in the United States was built in Providence, RI in 1960. It was the first to use mechanized machines to sort the mail and is still in operation today.

8. You can ride the country’s oldest carousel.

The Flying Horse Carousel located in Watch Hill, RI is the oldest carousel of its kind in the United States. Built in 1876, the 20 hand-carved, hand painted horses are suspended from a frame above the carousel as opposed to being attached to the floor. It is still open to the public today. But sorry, only children are allowed to ride.

9. Tighie-whities were invented here.

One of the world’s most popular underwear labels, Fruit of the Loom, was invented in Providence, RI by textile mill owner Robert Knight and his friend Rufus Skeel. Skeel’s daughter would sometimes paint apples on the cloth, and the underwear that were produced with those apples were always most popular. This lead to Skeel naming the brand “Fruit of the Loom”.

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